Valved bottle cap



Sept. 7,1937. A H, GRAHAM l 2,092,061

VALVED BOTTLE CAP Filed Nov. 25, 1954 2 sheets-'sheet 1 @im ma? sept. 7, 1937.

A. H. GRAHAM 4 2,092,061

VALVED BOTTLE CAP Filed Nov. 23, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -,5... mega@ Patented Sept. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 2,092,061 vALvED BOTTLE CAP vWhen the beverage is Alan H. Graham, Upper Montclair, N.

6 Claims.

I'his invention relates to improvements in valved bottle caps, and more particularly to a cap of the common crown seal type having valved means provided therein -for releasing the contents of the bottle held under pressure, and for conserving any unused portion of the contents. This invention is an improvement upon the bottle cap described and claimed in my Patentv No. 1,963,050, granted June l2, 1934.

An object of the. invention is to provide means for permitting the gradual dispensing of carbonated beverages in bottles and to conserve any unused portion of the beverage without loss of pressure. 'A further object is to provide means for doing this in a simple economical and practical manner, by making use. of the common crown seal cap in a way which will not materially lincrease the cost 'ofanuiacture of the bottle cap, and which will permit its use in standard capping machines.

As is well known, a bottle of carbonated beverage having the ordinary crown seal cap must be used immediately, once the cap has been removed, or the beverage quickly loses its carbonation. Merely replacing the cap still allows. the carbonation of the remaining fluid to be lost. Neither is it possible with the ordinary crown sealed bottle to dispense the liquid in a thin forcible stream, known as fizzing, in any satisfactory manner without separate and relatively eX- pensive means.

My invention consists briefly in providing the ordinary crown seal cap with a chamber beneath the cap to carry valve means adapted to release the contents of the bottle on breaking through the seal, and to maintain thebottle in sealed condition after first` use.y I provide a metal disk or plate between the cap and the cork packing having a chamber formed therein for carrying the valve means. In this way my invention permits the use of the ordinary crown seal cap with its cork packing for sealing the bottle. and permits capping in the standard capping machines. An important advantage of this device is that the bottle remains completely sealed in its original condition until ready to be used, and there is no possibility of leakage through the valve means. to be consumed, the seal is broken through for the first time by piercing the inner disk through the valve aperture with a suitable sharp pick or other instrument. The

kbeverage is then dispensed through the. small hole thus provided, and to conserve any unused portion of the contents, the valve is moved to closed position, thereby sealing the cap again.

(Cl. 21E-39) In this way they possibility of leakage through the .valve is prevented until after the bottle has been opened, when the danger of such leakage is no longer a serious problem. My valve means, however, is made tight enough so that the possibility of leakage, after the bottle has been opened, is very slight.

Other objects and advantages of my invention appear in the following specification and drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a plan View of my improved valve bottle cap in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of my device in open position, before piercing;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

f Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the valve. seat;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modied form oi valve seat showing different means for moving the valve seat;

Fig. '7 is a vertical cross section on line '1 -,1 of Fig. 6;

. Fig; 8 is a plan View of a combination tool to be used with my bottle cap;

Fig. 9 is a side. elevation of the same device;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of my modiiied form of bottle cap in closed position; and

Fig. 11 is a vertical section on the lines II-II of Fig. 10.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to befunderstood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

In Figs. 1 to 5, the rst form of my improved valved bottle cap, IIJ indicates the neck of the glass bottle, having the usual annular shoulder I I which is gripped by the. crimped sides I3 of the crown seal metal cap I2. Two apertures I4 and I5 are provided in the top oi said cap, the aperture I4 preferably on one side of the top and the aperture I5 preferably in the center. The. aperture I4 provides an opening for the bottle while aperture I5 provides space for moving the valve by means of a handle or detachable key. A 39.61.1.21 plate I6 having a centrally depressed portion I1 forming a valve chamber I9 ts in the cap I2 between the usual cork packing and the cap. An annular ring I8 of cork or other compressible material encircles depressed portion I 'I of plate I6 and performs its usual function of sealing the bottle.

Within the valve chamber I 9 formed by the depressed portion I'I of plate I6 is carried the valve seat or valve mechanism 20 (Fig. 5). This consists of a thin metallic disk 2I out of which is formed a handle 22, the disk 2I being backed with a relatively thick layer 23 of compressible material, such as cork, to prevent leakage of pres'- sure around the valve seat. Teeth or prongs 24 may be pressed from disk 2| for engaging the cork disk 23, and cork disk 23 is i'lXedlykattached to metal disk 2l preferably both by the prongs 24 and a suitable that the valve seat 20 may be made entirely of a very malleable metal or other material, if desired. An aperture 25 is provided through plate 2IV and cork disk 23 as to register with the aperture I4 in the metal cap I2. Handle 22 extends through hole I5 in cap I2, and provides means for moving the valve mechanism 20.

It is important, to prevent leakage after the seal has been pierced, that there be a relatively tight fit between the topof metal cap I2, the valve mechanism 20, and the bottom of depressed portion I1 in plate I6. The valve chamber I9 formed by depression I'I may be made just deep enough to contain the valve mechanism 20 as to be movable therein with a reasonably tight t. 'Ihe same purpose may be accomplished, as shown, by providing inwardly depressed or countersunk rims I4a and I 5a` forming an interior iiange around apertures I4 and I5 in the metal cap I2. Dents in the cap I2 or raised portions on the. valve disk 2I', not shown, may likewise be provided for this purpose, if desired. In this Way IV provide the tight fit necessary to prevent leakage of gas around these apertures, and at the same time permit the valve means to be easily moved, because of the smaller frictionalrarea. Further, to prevent leakage of gas around the apertures I4 and I5 in cap I2, after the bottle hasvbeen pierced, I have found it advantageous to ll all empty spaces around valve mechanism 20 in valve chamber I9 with paraiine or other suitable filler 26. In Fig. 5 the handle 2,2 is shown struck from that portion of the disk 2I which includes aperture 25,. To assist in preventing leakage around aperture 2 5 through the handle portion, aperture 2-5 and handle '22 may, of course, be struck from separate parts of disk 2| if desired. The valve mechanismv 20y and metal plate I6 are held in position inside cap I2 by means of the annular ring of cork I 8 which is made slightly large so as to fit tightly between the sides of the depressed portion I7 in plate I6 and the sides I3 of cap I2. Any other suitable means of holding the valve parts in the cap, however, may be substituted for this means if desirable. The cork packing to, seal the bottle is here shown as an annular ring [8, a hole being cut out of its center to accommodate the valve chamber I9 formed by the depressed portion I'I of the metal plate I6. It is to bel understood, however, that a cork packing strip in disk form may still be used, if desired, to entirely cover metal plate departing from myinvention.

To op-erate my valve bottle cap, handle 22 is moved to bring aperture 25 into registration with aperture I4 of cap I2. A small pick or other suitable instrument is then sharply thrust of the handle 22, I adhesive. It is to be understood through apertures I4 and 25 as to pierce and make a similar hole through metal plate I6, thus opening a small hole into the bottle. Inverting the bottle permits the carbonated beverage under pressure to be forced through hole I4 in the cap, until the bottle is empty or the desired amount of beverage used. To conserve any unused portion of the contents, the valve mechanism is moved to closed position by handle 22, thus sealing the bottle against further escape of the liquid or gas. In this way, the original cap is not removed but remains on the bottle at all times until no longer desired.

In Figs. 6 to 11 a second form of my improved valved bottle cap is shown, which has diierent means for moving the valve mechanism. Instead provide a key hole 30 in the center of the valve plate 2I in registration with aperture I5 of the cap I2. consist 'of any suitable indentation or non-circular hole, adapted to' receive a key for turning the valve mechanism 20. In Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown the key hole 30 as a square depression formed in the plate 2l. To accommodate such depression, the backing disk 23 of cork is preferably provided With a suitable hole. When the key hole 30 comprises merely a non-circular hole rather than a depressed portionA in the plate 20, it is unnecessary, of course, to provide accommodation for it in the cork backing 22, as the latter is sufficiently compressible to permit insertion of Il have shown such a key forming a combination bottle opener, pick, and key. This combination the pick or punch 33 and the key or wrench end 34.

chine.

I claim 1. A bottle stopper'of the crown seal type, comprising a metallic cap having sides adapted the mouth of the bottle, an

the aperture in said cap, and

operable to release the contents held Within said bottle under pressure on breaking through said sealed condition, and

means for moving said valve.

2. A bottle stopper of the ture in the top of said cap, a compressible packing in said cap for sealing said bottle, a metallic plate between said cap and packing having a centrally depressed portion forming a valve chamber, valve; means in said chamber comprising a movable metallic disk having a backing of compressible material attached thereto and having an aperture therethrough movable into and out of registration withV the aperture in said cap, and

`means vfor moving said valve means.

3. A bottle stopper of the crown seal type comprising a metallic cap having sides adapted to be fastened to the mouth of the bottle, an aperture in the top of said cap, a compressible packing in said cap for sealing said bottle, a metallic plate between said cap and packing having a centrally depressed portion forming a valve chamber, valve means in said chamber comprising a movable metallic disk having a backing of compressible material attached thereto and having an aperture therethrough movable into and out of registration with the aperture in said cap, and a handle for moving said valve means.

4. A bottle stopper of the crown seal type comprising a metallic cap having sides adapted to be fastened to the mouth of the bottle, an. aperture in the topi of said cap, a compressible packing in said cap for sealing said bottle, a metallic plate between said cap and packing having a centrally depressed portion forming a valve chamber, valve means in said chamber comprising a movable metallic disk having a backing of compressible material attached thereto and having an aperture therethrough movable into and out of registration with the aperture in said cap, and a keyhole in said plate for moving said valve means.

5. A bottle stopper of the crown seal type, comprising a metallic cap having sides adapted to be fastened to the mouth of the bottle, an aperture in the top of said cap, a compressible packing in said cap for sealing said bottle, a metallic plate between said cap and packing having a centrally depressed portion forming a Valve chamber, valve means in said chamber comprising a valve having an aperture movable into registration with the aperture in said cap, and operable to release the contents held within said bottle under pressure on breaking through said metallic plate when the contents are to be used, and movable out of registration therewith to maintain the bottle in sealed condition, means for providing a tight t between said cap and valve, and means for moving said valve.

6. A bottle stopper of the crown seal type, comprising a cap having sides adapted tobe securely fastened to the mouth of the bottle, an aperture in the top of said cap, a metallic plate in said cap having a centrally depressed portion forming a valve chamber, valve means in said chamber comprising a metallic disk having an attached backing of compressible material and having an. aperture movable into and out of registration with the aperture in said cap, means for moving said valve means, and an annular ring of compressible packing in said cap encircling said valve chamber.

ALAN H. GRAHAM. 

